What is Baptism?
What benefits does God give in Baptism?
How can water do such great things?
What does Baptism mean for daily living?
What is Holy Communion?
What benefits do we receive from this sacrament?
How can eating and drinking do all of this?
When is a person rightly prepared to receive this sacrament?
What is private confession?
What sins should we confess?
What are such sins?
How might we confess our sins privately?
What if we are not troubled by any special sins?
How may we be assured of forgiveness?
What is Baptism?
Baptism is not water only, but it is water used together with God's Word and by
his command.
What benefits does God give in Baptism?
In Baptism God forgives sin, delivers from death and the devil, and gives
everlasting salvation to all who believe what he has promised.
How can water do such great things?
Baptism is not water only, but it is water used together with God's Word and by
his command.
What does Baptism mean for daily living?
It means that our sinful self, with all its evil deeds and desires, should be
drowned through daily repentance; and that day after day a new self should arise
to live with God in righteousness and purity forever.
What is Holy Communion?
Holy Communion is the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given with bread
and wine, instituted by Christ himself for us to eat and drink.
What benefits do we receive from this sacrament?
The benefits of the sacrament are pointed out by the words, "given and shed
for you for the remission of sins." These words assure us that in the
sacrament we receive forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. For where there
is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.
How can eating and drinking do all of this?
It is not eating and drinking that does this, but the words, "given and
shed for you for the remission of sins." These words, along with eating and
drinking, are the main thing in the sacrament. And whoever believes these words
has exactly what the say, forgiveness of sins.
When is a person rightly prepared to receive this sacrament?
Fasting and other outward preparations serve a good purpose. However, that
person is well prepared and worthy who believes these words, "given and
shed for you for the remission of sins." But anyone who does not believe
these words, or doubts them, is neither prepared nor worthy, for the words
"for you" require simply a believing heart.
What is private confession?
Private confession has two parts. First, we make a personal confession of sins
to the pastor, and then we receive absolution, which means forgiveness as from
God himself. This absolution we should not doubt, but firmly believe that
thereby our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.
What sins should we confess?
Before God we should confess that we are guilty of all sins, even those which
are not known to us, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But in private confession,
as before the pastor, we should confess only those sins which trouble us in
heart and mind.
What are such sins?
We can examine our everyday life according to the Ten Commandments--for example,
how we act toward father or mother, son or daughter, husband or wife, or toward
the people with whom we work, and so on. We may ask ourselves whether we have
been disobedient or unfaithful, bad-tempered or dishonest, or whether we have
hurt anyone by word or deed.
How might we confess our sins privately?
We may say that we wish to confess our sins and receive absolution in God's
name. We may begin by saying, "I, a poor sinner, confess before God that I
am guilty of many sins." Then we may close the confession with the words,
"I repent of all these sins and pray for mercy. I promise to do better with
God's help."
What if we are not troubled by any special sins?
We should not torture ourselves with imaginary sins. If we cannot think of any
sins to confess (which would hardly ever happen), we need not name any in
particular, but may receive absolution because we have already made a general
confession from God.
How may we be assured of forgiveness?
The pastor may pronounce the absolution by saying, "By the authority of our
Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you your sins in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." Those who are heavily burdened in
conscience the pastor may comfort and encourage with further assurances from
God's Word.